Darthlaurie's Indispensable Basic Pasta Sauce

Everyone has that one recipe they can't live without. This is the recipe I turn to when I don't know what else to fix for dinner. When I was first out on my own, I looked up a bunch of recipes and then, I figured out what I really needed to make a basic pasta sauce. This is really basic and you can add veggies or meat or anything else you want to try. Have fun and enjoy!

• Ready In: 17 mins
• Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

• 1 (14 1/2-16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1  beef bouillon cubes or 1  chicken bouillon cube
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  italian seasoning
• 1  minced garlic clove
• 1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  grated parmesan cheese
• 1  dash pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a medium pot, saute garlic in olive oil, if desired. If you choose not to, go on to step 2.
2. Combine all the ingredients except for the red pepper flakes. Simmer over medium heat until sauce boils; smash tomatoes during simmering. Simmer until it reaches desired consistency (this will take longer without tomato paste).
3. Add red pepper flakes in the last five minutes of cooking.
4. Serve over favorite pasta or freeze.
5. Tips: If sauce just isn't tasting right, add a tiny bit of sugar or salt. Roasted red peppers, onions, and mushrooms are particularly tasty additions. The longer you simmer the sauce, the tastier it becomes. Add more seasonings as needed since all measurements are approximations.